The event was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Chinese Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff under the Central Military Commission of China Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming. The dialogue also saw the participation of Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh.
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Vietnamese delegation at the event |
During the dialogue, the two sides exchanged views on global and regional situations and issues of mutual concern. They said that the Asia-Pacific region has become an intersection point of interests and competition for influence among big countries in and outside the region. As non-traditional security challenges such as pandemics, the environment, natural disasters, extreme nationalism, terrorism, and transnational crimes have emerged, affecting peace, stability, and the development of nations, international cooperation in coping with the common challenges has become an essential need.
In this context, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), together with partners outside the region, have made important contributions to peace and stability in the region. ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms, especially the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), have promoted its efficiency.
Both sides agreed that the Vietnam-China defense cooperation has been continuously expanded and conducted via various forms with a focus on delegation exchanges, training, military medicine, cooperation among services and arms, UN peacekeeping missions, and the sharing of experience in Party and political work in the army.
Cooperative relationships between border guard forces of the two countries have been highly evaluated, especially in border management and protection, fighting against crimes, and maintaining security and order in border areas.
At the event, the two sides also frankly discussed sea-related issues. Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that the East Sea (South China Sea) is one of the most important sea routes in the world, which holds not only strategic economic, trade, and defense-security values but also strategic geo-political importance. Therefore, countries involved should actively cooperate with each other and maintain peace and stability for common interests.
He also affirmed Vietnam’s consistent viewpoint to address disputes at sea through peaceful measures, based on the common perceptions reached by the two countries’ senior leaders, and respect for each other’s legitimate rights and interests, and on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Vietnam will fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), work with concerned countries to reach a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and to control disagreements at sea to avoid complicating the situation and using force or threats to use force, Chien stressed.
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Chinese delegates at the event |
Regarding cooperation orientations in the coming time, the two sides agreed to maintain the effective implementation of signed cooperation agreements, especially the statement on joint vision on defense cooperation until 2025 reached by the two defense ministries.
The two countries will continue to seriously implement three legal documents on the border between the two countries and other signed agreements and closely cooperate in controlling illegal border crossing and fighting against crimes, contributing to maintaining security and order in border areas.
Earlier, Vietnamese Deputy Ministers of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien had a meeting with Senior Lieutenant General Qi Jianguo, former Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the Chinese Central Military Commission and Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming.
At the meeting, they expressed their delight at positive developments in defense cooperation between Vietnam and China and emphasized that the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange has contributed to managing, protecting, and building a shared borderline of peace, stability, and development.
Reported by Van Duyen from Dongxing, China
Translated by Tran Hoai